Instincts of an Oni
by The Trickiest One
Summary: Lloyd didn't know if inflicting pain was the same thing as getting hurt, it was a theory he was trying to test out. Whenever or not the mediocre human was capable of telling the difference, he was not human for his case. (Movie!Ninjago AU where Lloyd is a full-blood Oni and he embraces it) (Rewrite of Sleeping Forever) (Rated T for a whole lot of scenes later on)
1. Instincts

Focus, noun: the center of interest or activity. Lloyd did not have this 'focus' nor did he even have a 'train of thought', he had a test tomorrow. Lloyd was chewing on his pencil, that's disgusting. He had to focus. Why couldn't he keep his eyes on his paper for one measly-

"Can you stop talking to yourself, Mr. Garmadon?" His teacher tapped his desk with a ruler, the class laughed. Lloyd slid down his chair from embarrassment, he'd been talking again. "You're disrupting the class."

"He always does this," Someone had whispered.

"The rumors are true, maybe they really are gonna kick him out. I sure hope so," Another had said.

"I heard that he beat the everloving life outta Chen five years ago, for no reason!"

Who said that?

"Yeah, I also heard that he pushed someone off the Lighthouse three years back!"

That was an accident.

"Bet you twenty bucks that he goes to join this dad?"

Stop.

"Think Lloyd Garmadon will join forces with his father?"

Shut up.

"He's such an emotionless freak, just like his father.

"I am not a freak!" Lloyd shouted. His classmates gasped and giggled. Never had Lloyd gotten that mad before, at least not in public.

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, that is enough!" The teacher slapped his ruler on Lloyd's desk, making him flinch a little, his facial expression remained unchanged. Someone snickered at 'Montgomery'. "You've been disrupting this class for the last two days with your random outbursts, as of now, this will result in a week's detention!"

Lloyd buried his face in his hands.

He doesn't apologize.

"I'm going to the bathroom," He said as he grabbed his bag and walked his way out the class. Lloyd ignored the teasing of the other students with words such as 'freak' and 'psychopath', he ignored his impulsive thoughts to hurt someone. That'd be bad.

Lloyd could never get peopleーhumans for specificity, it was a thing he was incapable of. The human emotion was very much foreign to him, he understood why they smiled, he understood why they got mad, he even understood why they laughed. But he never understood why they got sad or why they cried, humans were confusing like that. He found that annoying.

Lloyd wanted to understand, he really did, but he refused to listen to those who would try to teach him.

The janitor's closet smelled like cleaning supplies and screams of pain. He'd be fine there on his own, no one came to bother him, he'd hurt them if they did. They were afraid of him. Good. They should be.

The bully becoming the bullied was a funny thing. Lloyd always felt so conflicted with his actions as a boy who feels nothing but pride in his heritage. But there were contradictions, of course. First, he's a teenager, cursed with the gift of being hated by everyone, and second, he's a raging monster who leaves scars and bruises in his wake.

"Hey, buddy," The door opened. He forgot to lock it. The atmosphere seemed tense, Lloyd doesn't like tense atmospheres. Haha, Kai is that type to make them go away though. "I'd thought you'd be here," Kai kept talking. "I just came from the bathroom and I followed you, are you feeling alright?"

"Hm?" Lloyd only caught bits and pieces of their one-sided conversation, he only answered in the occasional 'Yes' and 'No'. He wanted Kai to go away, to stop asking questions, he wanted him to disappear. Kai placed a hand onto his shoulder, that was one of his best friends, he couldn't disappear. Maybe.

Lloyd wasn't the one to easily trust humans. Heck, he didn't even like them.

"Lloyd, you're not answering my questions. Yes and No aren't the words that I'm looking for," Kai said. Lloyd returned his concerned stare with a blank one. He wasn't even listening, he was too busy thinking of the things he could do to Kai if he didn't leave him alone. Bad things.

"I like being alone, go away," Lloyd responded. "You don't know me, Kai. Not like you think you do," He sighed. "You can't possibly comprehend what I do in here, it's a coping mechanism."

"Coping?" Lloyd said too much. Kai was asking questions now. "Lloyd, what exactly do you do in here?"

"Have you ever wondered why my father attacks Ninjago City so often?" Lloyd changed the subject, completely off topic from what Kai was trying to get at. Kai looked almost hurt. "I come in here to think about that."

That was partially a lie.

"Lloyd, please don't lie to me," Kai said. Kai was onto him, he wasn't buying it. Typical of him. It was like a game of cat and mouse, Lloyd was the feeble mouse, and Kai was the pouncing cat, ready to kill at any moment. "You're a good liar, you know that right? If you have anything you want to say, you might as well say it. I might be able to help you."

"Have you ever wondered why the second-floor janitor's arm is broken?" Lloyd hinted. Kai would never understand. Impulses were hard to avoid. "What about the captain of the Soccer Team who suffers two black eyes? How about the Chess Club, the ones who don't laugh or tease me? Our History teacher who's afraid to speak my name?"

"Lloyd, what did you do." Kai's question was rephrased into a sentence. Whatever. Who cared anyway?

"So what if I broke a couple of bones and ribs, right? I made them promise not to tell," Lloyd searched for some hints that his best friend would agree with him. But that wasn't Kai, the Fire Ninja was all about justice for those who deserved it, and Lloyd most definitely did not deserve justice. "It's a survival instinct,"

"You can't just hurt people and get away with it," Kai protested. Lloyd clenched his jaw, his mother said the exact same thing when he was eleven. "You had no reason to,"

"Maybe I don't. They talk about me like I'm some monster,"

"You are a monster if you hurt people, Lloyd!"

Lloyd doesn't like a lot of things. Especially when someone calls him a monster.

Kai looked anywhere but at him, he failed to see what Lloyd was doing was justified. Was it for fun? For revenge? To clear his so-called 'good' name? Or maybe it was for the personal issues he clearly had.

"I'm going, don't bother following me," Kai turned around. Lloyd was afraid, he hated it. "I can't see-"

"No!" Lloyd shouted. Matching his facial expression to Kai's, he smiled. "No, you will not leave, or I will make you," Grabbing Kai's hand and pulling him towards him, Lloyd locked their hands together. "Please let me explain,"

"Let me go," Kai tried to pull his arms back. Lloyd squeezed his hands, making several joints. Kai winced, indicating that he felt it. "Lloyd, what's the matter with you!?"

"Emotions are a terrible thing among your kind, don't you think?" Lloyd questioned the fire wielder. "I've possibly sunk too far into that hole of hatred for you, spite of nothing," He let out a small chuckle. "I might as well stay there, only where I'm understood, I'll be fine, you'll be fine,"

Since when did he ever talk like that? So formal, yet so threatening?

Lloyd didn't know if inflicting pain was the same thing as getting hurt, it was a theory he was trying to test out. Whenever or not the mediocre human was capable of telling the difference, he was not human for his case. His father was the most terrifying thing the city has ever seen, he wasn't afraid. Lloyd has never been afraid.

He's playing his two-faced hero persona again.

But then again, his father was intentionally trying to kill him, the Green Ninja.

It was a waste of time to try to remember all of his good deeds.

That wasn't his job.

"Just, just promise that you won't tell. Don't leave me like he did," Lloyd felt thirteen again, speaking in sentences that made no sense. Kai had nice eyes. Auburn was a rare color. He found that funny. "Where'd you get that scar?"

"Lloyd, let me go and maybe I'll spare you a roundhouse kick to the face!" His naysayer's efforts were useless, he couldn't understand. It was ridiculous, last time Lloyd had checked, he'd been the weak link between the two. The Oni was a scary thing. Food for thought.

Lloyd eyed Kai's neck and pressed onto his pressure point. His uncle taught them that. The Fire Master's eyes rolled back and he fell. Lloyd just stared at the latter slumped down the floor, asleep. Kai liked tattoos. But Lloyd liked his eyes.

"His fire may burn," Lloyd whispered. "But I know how to put it out,"

Reaching into his bag, Lloyd pulled out a red-feather quill pen, an antique birthday gift from his uncle. Its ink is said to be forged by some kind of special tea, by this woman off the outskirts of the city. Lloyd knows what type of magic it holds, a magic that can give the user the ability to take things. Lloyd already could see, but Kai couldn't. Not anymore.

Lloyd liked taking things.

He gave Kai nice tattoos in ancient letterings only the Garmadons (minus his mother) could read.

Impulses were hard to control.

"Good luck trying to make me see things your way," The Oni looked down before leaving Kai. Alone. In a closet.

It smelled heavily of ink.

* * *

After Nya had practically dragged him back home when the janitor found him in their closet, Kai's eyes burned, like he was staring at the sun.

The next morning, Kai woke up screaming with his eyes devoid of all sight but said it was fine.

It was not fine.

He's blind.

* * *

 **What I Hate About Humans:**

 **Humans are pushy and are extremely sympathetic.**


	2. Selfish

**Oh boy, do I love writing angst about my fictional son!**

* * *

The next day, Kai wore red-rimmed sunglasses to school, claiming that the light bothered him. Some had thought that he just wore it to feel cool and boost his ego while others thought that it was just a joke. He stayed close to Cole for support, which seemed oddly suspicious to Lloyd. The brunette never told anyone what happened, clearly, he didn't remember. Lloyd made knew that.

It wasn't the first time he's used his pen and ink trick and it wouldn't be his last, Kai was just his latest test subject. Being an Oni was a wonderful thing.

Lloyd placed his emotional mask on again as his Marine Biology teacher droned on about some project and scores from a test he forgot he'd taken. He wasn't listening to her, he was listening more to Jay. The lightning-wielder was selfish. He had many things to say but kept it to himself. Lloyd hated it.

"Alright, the results are in," His teacher announced. Again, he was listening, now he was interested. "All of you have passed greatly, but the two highest scores are Jay Walker-"

"Obviously," Lloyd heard someone say. Jay hid in his scarf. Jay was anxious again. Lloyd could feel the weight that his anxiety carried.

"And Lloyd Garmadon?" The teacher squinted at the printing on the paper. There were murmurs in the crowd. "Wait a minute, that can't be right."

Lloyd wasn't surprised, he didn't even study, he'd cheated off of Jay. Lloyd has been putting his hero-side off for a while, his instincts were kicking in. Jay was unsuspecting of the entire thing, he sat next to Lloyd anyways, the last one to get his paper, the first one to finish. Lloyd had to swallow the pill of jealousy that was building up.

"Congratulations you two. As for the rest of you, you will each pick a partner or group to work with. If you can't figure it out, I will assign you myself," The teacher finished her speech. Lloyd looked around the room, he needed Jay, and he wasn't going to let anyone take him away. His mind was far too electrifying to share. Lloyd didn't like to share.

Once the teacher had assigned the project, one of the students offered Jay a spot with them.

"Hey, Walker," He greeted. "Wanna sit with us? We could use a mind like yours, the one this loser," He pointed to Lloyd. "Doesn't have."

"No thanks," Jay declined the offer. Perfect. "I'd rather keep my mind with him, he's my friend."

Lloyd met Jay at the graveyard when they were fourteen. Jay told him about his birth father's death days ago, so he and his adoptive parents came to mourn him. Cliff Gordon was an actor. Back then, Jay wasn't even near the act of being selfish. He'd inherited his father's mansion.

Lloyd never mentioned his cousin.

He could never understand Jay. His mind was going in at least four directions, all screaming and shouting. Though Jay was brilliant, his personal gift, he didn't like to share ideas. Jay was full of self-doubt.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could make a model of a Monodon Monoceros if that's alright with you." Jay gave Lloyd a hopeful smile. Lloyd raised an eyebrow as if to ask what that was. Jay's face fell slightly, he facepalmed himself in the head. "Don't you remember, Narwhals? We had to recite the scientific names of cetaceans. Or maybe that's just me,"

"Nope, that's just you buddy," Lloyd chuckled. Jay nodded and slid back into his chair. Now he realized why everyone was staring at him oddly, Lloyd's eyes were red. He'd 'forgotten' his contacts at home. He liked his eyes. Lloyd liked Kai's eyes too. Lloyd shook off the feeling and took out a piece of paper as well as his school computer. "The project's not due until Wednesday, we have a week."

"Do you, um, wanna meet up at the mansion tomorrow? I have more supplies there than in this classroom, assuming that we don't have plans besides, y'know, saving the city and all." Jay gave a small smile. Lloyd thought about it for a few seconds, he could practically feel Jay's doubting words.

"Sure," Lloyd replied. He didn't have any plans that involved himself. This was all about Jay now. Jay was selfish and greedy. And that was bad.

Jay was thinking again. Jay thinks too much. Jay's too afraid to act.

* * *

The day went as normal, Lloyd father had no such attacks, to the five of them were bored with relief. Kai, this time, sat the opposite of Lloyd, still closer to Cole like he trusted the DJ with his life. Suspicious. Zane noticed the thin social line but said nothing of the sorts. Cole didn't mind the awkwardness. Lloyd thought nothing of Nya, he hated the ocean. Jay was busy thinking and being a coward. Lloyd thought their one-sided conversations were amusing.

Lloyd started to hurt people again. They just LOVED to bother him, to QUESTION him, to ANGER him. Okay. Yesterday was a distant memory, today, he cornered a Freshman, broke her crutches, and stole her wallet. She didn't need it anyway.

She's almost as wealthy as Jay.

Lloyd had to laugh.

* * *

Saturdays were weird. Jay gave him the address to the mansion. He didn't refer it to 'his mansion', Jay never wanted it the first place, but it was a gift. Jay doesn't turn down gifts.

He didn't have any maid or butlers, he dismissed and paid them. Jay could do all that cooking and cleaning himself. Lloyd admired Jay's independence.

The mansion was surrounded by trees, lots of them, like the woods. There was a gate filled with gold plaster stars, it automatically opened for him, he guessed that Jay saw him judging from the security cameras outside. The inside was...interesting, there was a Fritz Donnegan merchandise everywhere he looked, there was even a huge statue announcing the phrase "Fair? Fair isn't a word where I come from!". Lloyd was a huge fan of Cliff Gordon and the Fritz Donnegan Franchise.

To his left, there was a dining room twice the size of his bedroom, he could smell cookies. Maybe Jay was baking, which was not unlike him at all. Jay was good at many things. There was a crash, Lloyd pressed his ear to the kitchen door.

Jay cursed in a language that foreign to him. He was able to make out a few words. Jay taught the team a couple of words.

"You're not supposed to burn them, idiot!" Lloyd mentally translated. "Lloyd wouldn't want to hang out with you if you continue to do this!"

"Hey, uh, are you okay?" Lloyd knocked on the door, showing his mild concern. Jay screamed and another crash sounded.

"I'm fine, j-just, um, hang on a minute," Jay shouted back. Lloyd hummed an 'okay' and continued to roam around the living room. Blue couch, blue walls, and even a blue ceiling fan, either Cliff Gordon really likes the color blue or Jay wanted a touch-up. Nope.

To the corner of his eye, the Oni spotted his 'friend'.

"What happened in there?" Lloyd questioned him. Jay awkwardly shuffled in his baggy clothes, unkempt hair, and tired eyes. He looked like he'd just woke up.

"Don't worry about it," The latter assured him. Lloyd knew better. Jay's frustrated because he burned his cookies. He threw them away. Jay moved past him and pulled down a gold statue Lloyd had thought to be an award. The poster next to it moved sideways. Cool. "Uh, welcome to Fritz Donnegan's secret lair, if you will."

"Woah," Lloyd had to admit, it was way better than what he had expected. Mannequins of previous suits Lloyd had only heard in theory, and a pink mirror with pictures and autographs, perhaps a dresser of sorts. But there was one detail that caught his attention, Cliff had pictures of Jay, well, the Lightning Ninja for that matter. It was a bit creepy, but if Jay was fine with it so was he. "It's like a jungle in here,"

"Yeah, I guess, it gets pretty small once you get used to it," Jay shrugged. "But it's all fun and games until your parents tell you to come home."

"How many people have been in here?"

"You're the first, I've never invited anyone over before, aside from my parents, of course."

"I see,"

They sat on Jay's superhero-themed bean bag chairs, talking about the latest they've seen and the games they played. Eventually, they both got started on their project. Jay looked up from time-to-time as if to say something, but his selfish mind shut him down quickly. Lloyd wanted a conversation. The Oni were impatient beings.

"Y'know, "Jay said at last. Lloyd looked up from the sketch that they were working on. "I never wanted to inherit this mansion. It's one of the only things that people recognize me for. I'm just an adopted orphan living Junkyard kid's dream!"

"No, you're so much more than that," Lloyd argued. He'd been eyeing his pen for twenty minutes. "You're a dreamer living the life I wish I had," He laughed. "You think too much, Jay. You're a millionaire."

"But I don't want to be a millionaire!" Jay gave him a questioning looked.

"Then what do you want?" Lloyd was ready to do something, instincts were kicking in.

"I don't know, to not be so awkward?" Jay was unsure about his answer. Lloyd huffed.

Lloyd hates selfish nobodies.

"Your hair's nice, your mom does it, right?" He changed the subject completely. "I know a lot of things, Jay."

"That's definitely not a disturbing thing to say," Jay laughed nervously. "If you're trying to flirt with me, I'm sorry, but I think we both know that I don't like you that way,"

"Liar! You're selfish!" Lloyd jumped out of his chair, digging nails into his arms. "You're afraid and you're an idiot!"

"What?" Jay hissed, almost in a whisper, fear masked his voice. "A-are you, um, feeling alright?"

"I know a lot of things," The Oni repeated his phrase from earlier. "I hate you, you don't like sharing, why are you so silent all of the time!?"

"Stop it!"

Lloyd pushed Jay onto the floor, grabbing his arms as the other tried to fight back.

"You're stupid! Nobody likes you!"

"Please, Lloyd, stop it!"

Lloyd gave him an emotionless look, reaching for his pen, gripping in his hand. Jay furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes on the verge of tears, he was panicking. Lloyd grinned.

"First Spinjitzu Master, I'm going to die! Lloyd, are you trying to kill me!? Why would you want to kill me!?"

"Hey, hey, calm down. You're not going to die, Sparky." Only Cole called Jay that. "I'll make sure of it."

Lloyd mumbled under his breath, he drew words, 'Loudmouth', 'Share', 'Vocal', 'Intelligence', 'Selfless'. Jay gave him a blank stare afterwards. Wonderful. Didn't even take long.

Better," Lloyd muttered. "Where're your razors, like hair razors?"

"Top left drawer," Jay answered.

"You want a new haircut?"

Jay didn't even take a long time to answer.

"Yes, please!"

Jay has a new mohawk now.

* * *

As he left, it dawned on him.

They never finished their project.

* * *

 **What I Hate About Humans:**

 **They're so selfish and greedy, I hate them.**

 _ **Yeah, I hate humans too.**_


End file.
